Recipe: Stewed Chicken with Brown Gravy

STEWED CHICKEN WITH BROWN GRAVY

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 rib celery, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 (3 pounds each) whole free-range chickens, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
Cooked long-grain rice (to serve)

To make a roux, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring often, until the mixture turns the color of dark chocolate.

Remove from heat, and add celery, onion, bell pepper and thyme. Stir for a minute or so until the vegetables get soft and the roux cools.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sear the pieces of chicken until browned all over. Remove the chicken.

Add the wine, and bring it to a boil; scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve the browned bits in the wine. Add 3 cups of water to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Add the roux, and whisk until smooth.

Return the chicken to the pot. Cover and simmer on very low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove the breasts and wings, and cook 20-30 minutes, until the meat on the chicken legs begins to fall away from the bones. Remove the chicken from the pot, and keep warm.

Add the salt, pepper and Tabasco to the gravy pot, and cook until the sauce thickens. Strain, if desired.

Serve the chicken with rice, and spoon the gravy over both.

Servings: 4
Source: New Orleans Food by Tom Fitzmorris and Emeril Lagasse